Alabama governor signs bill barring diversity, equity and inclusion programs
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed legislation Wednesday that would ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs in public schools, universities and government agencies and ban the teaching of “divisive concepts,” including that someone should feel guilty because of their race or gender.
The measure, which takes effect Oct. 1, is part of a wave of proposals from Republican lawmakers across the country targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs, known as DEI, on college campuses. Republicans say the programs increase divisions and promote a particular political viewpoint. But opponents say it’s a rollback of hard-won progress and programs that welcome underrepresented student populations.
“My administration has valued Alabama’s rich diversity and will continue to do so, but I refuse to allow a few bad actors on college campuses – or anywhere else – to go by the acronym DEI, using taxpayer dollars, to further their to promote liberal policies. political movement that goes against what the majority of Alabamians believe,” Ivey said in a statement.
Also Wednesday, an Alabama House committee proposed legislation that would ban teacher-led discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools and ban schools from displaying Pride flags in classrooms. The measure is part of a wave of laws across the country that critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” The bill now heads to the full Alabama House of Representatives.
The DEI measure was sharply criticized by opponents who said it set the state backward instead of forward.
“This regressive measure undermines the progress we have made in cultivating an inclusive society in Alabama by suppressing essential discussions and programs that are critical to improving our state,” said House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels. Alabama House.
Daniels said it “harmfully impacts the educational experience of college students by eliminating programs where they can receive support, build communities, and learn how to be prosperous and inclusive citizens.”
The Alabama legislation would prohibit universities, K-12 schools and state agencies from sponsoring DEI programs, which the bill defines as classes, training, programs and events in which participation is based on a person’s race, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin or sexual orientation.
The bill also says schools, universities and government agencies cannot require students, employees and contractors to attend classes and training sessions “that advocate or require agreement” with what the bill lists as eight “divisive concepts.”
The list of prohibited concepts includes that “each individual must accept, acknowledge, affirm, or consent to a sense of guilt, complicity, or the need to apologize on the basis of his or her race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.” origin.”
The bill would also seek to ban transgender people on college campuses from using multi-occupancy restrooms that match their current gender identity.
The legislation says colleges and universities “must ensure that each multi-occupancy restroom is designated for use by individuals based on the sex an individual was assigned at birth. It is unclear how the requirement would be enforced.